


over the waves, from caverns deep

by naru_writes



Series: unfinished works [1]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Fantasy, Little Mermaid Elements, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-06
Updated: 2019-02-06
Packaged: 2019-10-23 15:16:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,089
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17685938
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/naru_writes/pseuds/naru_writes
Summary: When Louis visits his grandparents on the coast, he meets a mermaid.





	over the waves, from caverns deep

**Author's Note:**

> this hasn't been worked on for years, but i didn't want it just sitting on my laptop collecting dust. who knows, maybe i'll find the inspiration to finish it one day
> 
> title is from follow me by celtic woman

“I don’t understand why I have to go.”

Louis stood in front of his parents as they rushed around their bedroom to finish packing for yet another "business trip." He knew they were lying; it was just another trick to go on an extravagant vacation without him and Lottie annoying them.

Jay sighed as she shut her suitcase. "I don't care if you want to or not, Louis. You're going and that's final. I'm not in the mood for arguing."

"But I'm perfectly fine staying here by myself! Niall's parents let him, and he's younger than me!" Louis crossed his arms and huffed, looking up at his father as he walked out of the room without a word (most likely to go out back for a smoke because of course Louis was always a nuisance.)

Jay sat on the edge of the bed and opened her arms for Louis to come crawl into her lap. Louis hesitated for a few seconds before giving in, always the mummy's boy. "I know you want to stay here with your friends, but we don't have a babysitter and it's far too late to hire one on such short notice. It's only for three months, you'll be fine with Gran and Gramps, won't you?"

As she spoke, she brushed her fingers through her son's hair as he rested his head on her shoulder, the action comforting. "I guess." He pulled back a bit and looked up at her sternly. "But you have to bring me back presents!"

Jay chuckled and nodded, hugging her son close. "Deal. Now go pack your suitcase, we're leaving in a hour."

xxx

As the waves crashed against the rocks he was sitting on, Harry tilted his head and tried to weave the shells into the seaweed crown he was trying to make. When the third shell snapped in half, he groaned and threw it all back into the ocean, crossing his arms angrily. His tail swished in the water and a frown crossed his face as he looked at it in disgust.

"Harry!" a voice called out, breaking him from his thoughts.

A boy about his age swam up and Harry sighed again, feeling a headache start. "What is it, Liam?"

"You know your mother said you aren't allowed above the surface," Liam said, casting worried looks all around them. "You know what will happen if humans see you."

The prince rolled his eyes and stayed in his spot. "And you know that I don't care what she thinks. It's boring down there, Liam. There's only so much sea life a merman can take."

Harry was second in line for the crown, his sister Gemma being before him, and his mother was a bit over protective. She had a reason to be, though. His father was captured by pirates and his body was thrown overboard after he was tortured and killed. Since then, going up to the surface was forbidden, but Harry often ignored that rule just to get away from the strict royal life.

"She just worries about you, Harry,” Liam reasoned, turning his disappointed gaze on Harry. Harry rolled his eyes, flicking his tail in annoyance.

"Don't you all?" Harry said sarcastically. "Fine, if it makes you feel better, I'll come back down."

Liam nodded eagerly. Harry shook his head. Did everyone think he was a naive child without a trace of common sense? This childish treatment was really starting to get on his nerves. He just turned thirteen for Poseidon's sake! Liam beckoned him into the water. Harry sighed, turning one last glance to the setting sun, before diving into the blue depths.

He broke the surface, following the familiar route through schools of colorful fish and beautiful reefs. He said his to some of the passing merfolk, stopping for a few seconds to chat. Liam seemed to get annoyed, judging from his outburst of: "Harry! We haven't got all day, the Queen and Princess are expecting you! You're not Gemma, you don't  _ have _ to greet everyone, you know."

Harry sent a harsh glare in his direction. Realizing his mistake, Liam gave him an apologetic look. "'M sorry, Harry, that was uncalled for." His sister's position was a sore topic to discuss, and Liam knew that. Harry couldn't help but be a little miffed at him.

"'S fine, Liam," Harry sighed. "Let's just go see what Mum and Gem want." They swam the rest of the trip in silence, Liam sending Harry worried looks every few minutes.

When they arrived at the gates, they were let through. Harry said hello the the staff, before swimming to the Throne Room, where he knew his mother would be.

xxx

Turns out, she just wanted to reinforce the fact that Gemma was soon to be crowned, and Harry wasn't (Well, maybe not as harshly as he put it.)  He was meant to set a good example, and uphold the reputation their family had 'built for centuries'.

Putting that all aside, he mindlessly wandered to his favorite place. It was a beautiful limestone cave, strung with carved shelves and chests. Here, Harry stored his most treasured artifacts. He grabbed a long strip of cloth from one of the shelves, and used it to push his hair back so it wouldn't float in his face. He called it a dinglehopper.

"She's just looking out for you, you know."

Startled, Harry turned around and let out a breath of relief when he saw his friend Zayn leaning against the cave entrance. "She's overprotective," he replied, turning back to his trinkets and toys he'd found all across the ocean during his fits of boredom.

"If she finds out about this cave, she's going to go mental," Zayn said, swimming over to his side and picking up a snarfblat. Zayn was an outcast merman, kicked out for having contact with with a human a few years ago.

"If she finds out I'm hanging with you she'll have a heart attack," Harry chuckled, taking the object from him and attempting to make music with it before placing it to the side when his attempts failed. "It's just shit that I have to set a good example as "Princess Gemma's little brother." I'm sick of being in her shadow and the fact that Liam's been ordered to watch my every move isn't helping."

Zayn rolled his eyes and swam around the cave, observing the many treasures that sat on the ledges of the limestone. "If you start singing I'm afraid we can't be friends anymore." He faced him and looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "You know, if you're serious about going on land, I know a guy who can make that happen. For a small price, of course."

Harry frowned in confusion, a little hesitant since Zayn knew a lot of people who weren't considered 'mer-people of the year’. "Who?"

"You know Nick Grimshaw, right?"

"No, absolutely not." Harry shook his head. "Never in a million years. He's nothing but bad news and those eels of his creep me out." Nick Grimshaw was a merman you never had connections to. He was slimy, untrustworthy, and what some would call a con man.

"Besides," Harry started, "Why can't I just go meet him like this? I can find a way to camouflage my tail in the water," he countered. Zayn just scoffed.

“D’you really think you could find a way to hide that fluorescent lump of muscle?” Zayn asked. “‘Oh yeah, I can just keep my tail underwater, then they won’t be able to see anything!’” he mocked sarcastically. “And what if they swim under the current and open their eyes? Then what?”

“Hey,” Harry scolded, drawing out the word longer than it was meant to be. “No need to be rude.” He continued to mess around with his various items. Zayn watched him in amusement.

“And a little known fact: Humans don’t usually open their eyes underwater. Unless their eyes are extremely insensitive, that salt would burn or dry them out. I thought  _ you _ of all people would know that.”

Zayn rolled his eyes. “Yea, yea. I know our biochemistry is different and blah blah blah. I learned that at the academy before I was exiled too, you know. And also a little known fact:  _ Most _ humans don’t usually open their eyes underwater, you even said it yourself; it doesn’t apply to all.”

He swam closer and put a hand on Harry’s shoulder. “Look mate, I understand your fascination with them, I really do. Just be careful, yea? Don’t want to live the life I was banished to. I was only nine, you know.”

Yes. Harry knew all too well. He and Zayn were as close as two young mermen could get; he was devastated when Zayn was banished. His sister sympathized with him for a while, but as his mother said, ‘Laws are laws, Harry. We can’t make exceptions just because we are biased towards another.’ They floated in silence for a bit after that.

Harry sighed. “I really should get back, Liam’s probably pulled his hair out and Mum’s gonna get suspicious if I stay much longer. She thinks I went to go pull shells and seaweed out of my hair.” He gave Zayn a short embrace. “Stay safe, okay?”

“Jeez, mate. You’re starting to sound like Liam.” Zayn said sarcastically. Harry chuckled. Even when they were younger, Liam was a worry wart.

They parted ways, and Harry swam back to the castle as Zayn swam forward, into the murky depths of the unknown.

xxx

“Alright. Have fun!” Jay exclaimed, planting a kiss on both of her children’s foreheads. “Louis, be nice to your sister; Charlotte don’t antagonize your brother.”

They both nodded, tackling their mother for one last hug. They waved at her when she got in the taxi with their father. When they drove off, they exchanged mischievous glances.

“Race you!” Louis challenged, sprinting for the front door. He grinned triumphantly when she ran up, trying to catch her breath.

“No fair, you cheated!” Lottie complained, putting her hands on her knees. Their grandparents house was sat on top of a small cliff that overlooked the English Channel, and there was a hidden beach underneath the cliff.

Louis rolled his eyes and started to drag his suitcase up the rest of the dirt path, the house being at the top of the hill. Once they were finally on the porch, Louis knocked on the wooden screen door. “Do you think Mum and Dad told them we were coming?” Lottie asked, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth. Just as Louis was about to reply, the door opened and they were scooped up into flabby arms and the smell of thirty-year-old perfume made them gag.

“Oh, it’s so good to see you two again!” their grandmother, Sylvia, gushed, pressing kisses to their cheeks. “Let me have a look at you!” She pushed them back and Louis took a gulp of air, blinking rapidly.

Sylvia Tomlinson was a sixty-year-old who tried to pass for twenty-three. The amount of makeup she wore shouldn’t even be socially acceptable and her glasses were big and round, making her eyes look huge. Lottie tried to wipe off the bright red lipstick mark on her cheek. “You two keep getting bigger every year!”

“That’s why they call it ‘growing up’, Gran,” Louis mumbled under his breath, shooting his sister a look. Eventually, they were led into the house, the rancid perfume odor replaced by the smell of carpet powder and fresh laundry. A slightly overweight corgi trotted up to them and immediately began jumping all over the two kids. Their grandmother was very patriotic, wanting everything to be exactly like the Queen wanted it. They often thought she was trying to turn into the Queen, herself.

“Your grandfather is in the back setting up the football pitch,” Sylvia said, stepping into the kitchen and bringing out a plate of sandwiches. Before she could speak another word, Louis was out the door, almost sprinting to the backyard.

“Grumps!” Louis exclaimed. Keith rolled his eyes at the boy’s nickname for him, but Louis knew that there was no real malice behind it.

“Louis! My boy!” he exclaimed, pulling Louis in for a hug. “How’ve you been? Let me get a look at you,” Keith said, leaning back. “My, my! Look at how you’ve grown! Last time I saw you, you were just a munchkin.”

Louis giggled. No, he really didn’t. Louis was too mature to  _ giggle _ at that age. I command you to erase that sentence from your memory. “Oh, stop. I wasn’t that small. You’re just shrinking!”

“Whatever you say, Louis. Ready to play some footie?” Keith asked, picking up the soccer ball from beneath him. Louis nodded eagerly, and the ball was tossed over to him. “Alright, have fun. ‘M gonna go take a rest.”

“But grandad!” Louis whined. “Why won’t you play with me?”

“Because at this old age, you do three things: Eat, sleep, and watch football. Which I am going to do right now. I’ve my crisps, my outdoor chair, my pillow, and my footie champ right here. Tell Lottie to play with you,” he suggested.

“Lottie is absolute rubbish at footie, though. She always complains and gets mad when she doesn’t score.”

“Alright, Louis. How about we go eat dinner, seeing as you’re probably starving,” to exaggerate his point, he poked Louis belly, causing him to giggle (chuckle, he was a big bo, after all) again. “and then you two can go to the beach. We’ll have a match tomorrow. That sound good?”

Louis huffed, crossing his arms. “Okay fine,” he groaned, and he was off. He raced to the back door and nearly scared his grandmother to death when he burst in. Already knowing what he wanted, she shushed him before he could ask.

“Now, who’s ready for those sandwiches?”

xx

“Alright, Louis...That’s enough. You’ll be as big as a house by the time your mum comes ‘round again,” Sylvia scolded. She took the plate that Louis had been stuffing his face with.

“But  _ Gran _ ,” Louis whined. “ I’m a growing boy! How else am I supposed to get tall and strong?”

“Fat is what you’ll get. Go on now. I think your Grandad and Lottie are at the beach. How’re you to swim if you eat too much?” she reasoned. louis pondered for a moment.

“Fine. You’re not coming?”

“No. I’ve to clean up. I might come join you a bit later, though. Go on, have fun with your sister and grandad.”

“Okay Gran! I’ll be back later!” Louis exclaimed, shutting the door behind him. He quickly made his way to the beach, spotting Lottie on the edge of the shore.

“Lou,” she said once he was standing beside her, “what’s that?” She pointed to the rocks in front of them where the waves were gently crashing against them, and Louis squinted.

“Is that a person?”

Behind the giant rock, they could barely make out a head bobbing in the water, but as soon as they turned back around from calling their grandfather over, it was gone.

“What is it?” Keith asked. Lottie shrugged and frowned.

“Never mind,” Louis said, shoulders slumping. He was sure there was someone over there. But that wasn’t possible, they were the only people in a ten mile radius.

Keith smiled down at his grandchildren and kneeled beside them. “People say there’s mermaids out there, you know.”

“Mermaids?” Lottie questioned. “But they aren’t real.”

“Yes they are, I've seen one," Keith said, looking at her. "It was right here, too. I was about your age.”

Louis regarded his grandfather with wide eyes. That lasted all but three seconds before he snapped out of it. “Don’t fall for it, Lottie! He’s just teasing us with an old fairy tail.”

Keith shook his head in denial. “But I’m really not. She was the most beautiful thing I’d seen, before your grandmother came along. Beautiful orange tail; it looked like it could be laced with diamonds.”

“ _ Diamonds? _ ” Lottie inquired, her voice raising a few octaves. “Did she have a crown like a princess?”

Louis scoffed at the same time his grandfather let out a warm chuckle. “Unfortunately not. But, she did wave at me before she went back down. I only saw her that one time, and then she was gone forever.”

“You mean she died?” Louis asked before scolding himself. He could not be getting into this girly stuff. It was too... _ girly _ .

“Louis!”

“What? I’m just wondering, Lottie. Jeez, no need to be such a baby.”

“But still!” Lottie turned back to Keith. “She didn’t die, right? You just never saw her again.”

“Correct you are, young one,” Keith said in a low tone, fading into a whisper. “Legend has it, if you stay out here long enough, you just might see the splash of one swimming by.”

“Ooh! Can we stay out mermaid watching tonight? Please?” Lottie pleaded, tugging on Keith’s sleeve.

“Oh, stop it. Don’t be ridiculous,” Louis scolded. “Besides, even if they  _ were  _ real, what makes you think they’d want to come out? For all we know, they could be very shy.

“I’d just be really nice, silly! if I’m not mean looking, they won’t be scared of me.”

“Your face is mean looking…” Louis mumbled.

“Alright, enough. Come on Lottie, let’s go look for seashells. The shoreline’s covered with them on the other side. D’ya wanna come, Louis?”

“Nah, I think I’ll go exploring. Do you know what’s over on the other side of that big rock?”

Keith looked at him in confusion. “Well, right in front of us is the North Sea. Beyond that rock is the English Channel. Why do you want to know?”

“Just wondering,” Louis said, already moving to where the tide was coming in. Keith shrugged and lead Lottie over to the far end of the beach. A while later, Keith had went back up to the house, leaving Louis and Lottie alone with the promise not to drown each other. Lottie came up to stand beside him.

“What are you looking at?”

“I’m trying to see if I can see that person again.”

“But Gramps said that’s the ocean,” Lottie tried to reason. “There wouldn’t be a person in the ocean, dummy.”

Louis frowned and shoved her gently. “M’not a dummy, I’m just saying. What if it wasn’t a person? What if it was actually a mermaid?”

“I thought you didn’t believe him?”

“What if it’s true, though? What if he really did see one?” He let the subject drop and they walked along the shore. It was nearing sunset when they decided to sit on the sand, trying to make things with shells and seaweed that’d washed up.

“I can help you with those if you’d like,” a voice said, and Louis’ and Lottie’s heads snapped up. Sitting on a rock was a boy with a green tail that rested against the stone.

“Louis…” Lottie whispered, slapping her brother’s shoulder repeatedly without taking her eyes off of the strange creature.

“I know, I know,” Louis replied, trying to get her to stop. He stood quickly, dropping his shells and seaweed. “Are you a mermaid?”

“Mer _ man _ , actually,” the creature said, looking at him with an amused look before diving into the water and swimming up to the shore, the tide washing over his body as he propped himself up on his elbows. “I’m Harry.”

They looked at him suspiciously. “Our mum says never to talk to strangers,” Louis finally said.

“Ah, but you  _ are _ talking to me,” Harry shot back, eyes glinting. “So that makes me not a stranger.”

“Actually,” Lottie interjected, “We don’t  _ know  _ you, so you’re still a stranger. I think. Isn’t that how it works Louis?” she asked, tugging on Louis’s arm.

“Hush Lottie, you’re making us out to be stupid,” Louis scolded, tugging her hair.

“Hey!” Lottie exclaimed, stomping her foot. “Why you--mmph!” she was cut off by Louis slapping his hand over her mouth, effectively muffling her words.

“Sorry ‘bout that. You know how children are,” Louis explained, pointing at his sister. “I think she’s the most childish of them all, actually.”

“But...aren’t you a kid too?”

“ _ Teenager _ . I’m fifteen. Gonna turn sixteen in a few months, actually. This one over here’s only eight.”

With a struggle, Lottie pried her brother’s hand off of her mouth. “Gross, your hand tastes like mayonnaise. And anyway! I’m due to be nine in a few months!”

“Still a child,” Louis sung, taunting his sister.

“Whatever. At least my nose isn’t as pointy as yours!”

“D’ya see what I’m talking about? Completely irrelevant, you only said that because you couldn’t think of a witty comeback.  _ Child _ .”

“Well--erm--ah, A-at least I’m pretty! You have an egghead.”

“No I don’t”

“Yes you do!”

No, I  _ don’t _ .”

“Yes, you  _ do. _ ”

“Lottie!

“Lou-ee~”

Harry tried. He just couldn’t hold it in anymore. He let out a loud cackle, so loud in fact, that he almost fell back into the water.

“What’s so funny?” Louis asked, tone a bit miffed.

“Shut up, Louis. The real question is: who’s more childish, me or him?”

“Well,” Harry started, once his chuckles subsided. “You’re both quite immature, actually. Louis was arguing with you, and you were firing right back.  _ But _ , considering you’re only eight--excuse me,  _ nine _ , it’s only natural for you to behave like that. He’s older, so he should be better.”

Louis scoffed and crossed his arms over his chest. “You're supposed to be on my side! Not hers!”

“And why's that?” Harry asked, raising an eyebrow in amusement. It had been a while since he'd dealt with children who wouldn't reciprocate his banter because they were too afraid they'd get told off for talking back to the prince.

“Because I'm a boy!” Louis cried in annoyance. “You can't be on her side, she's a girl!”

“Proving my point exactly…..”

The merman frowned. “What's wrong with being a girl?” he asked curiously, his head tilting. “You're supposed to respect your sister, you know.”

Louis stuck up his nose. “Why should I? She's nothing but a nuisance. I asked my parents for a puppy but they ended up bringing her home instead.” At his words, Lottie's face scrunched up and she started to cry, tilting her head down as she scrubbed at her eyes with her fists. Harry tutted and moved up the sand a bit so he could wrap his arms around her.

“That wasn't very nice, Louis,” he said sternly, trying to comfort the girl by humming softly to her. Lottie's tears almost stopped immediately and she looked up at him as he hummed, starting to sing a soft tune. Even Louis had relaxed and watched him quietly.

 

_ Upon one summer's morning, _

_ I carefully did stray _

_ Down by the Walls of _

_ Wapping, _

_ Where I met a sailor gay _

 

_ Conversing with a young lass _

_ Who seemed to be in pain _

_ Saying, William, when you _

_ I fear you'll ne'er return again. _

 

_ My heart is pierced by Cupid _

_ I disdain all glittering gold _

_ There is nothing can console me _

_ But my jolly sailor bold _

 

When he was finished, Louis blinked and shook his head a bit, immediately feeling guilty. “I'm sorry, Lottie,” he said quietly, shifting from foot to foot and looking at the ground. Lottie sniffed but stayed in Harry's arms.

“It's okay,” she said, her head resting on Harry's shoulder. “Where did you learn that song?” she asked him.

Harry smiled softly and gently moved back into the water, his skin starting to feel a bit tight. “My mum used to sing it to me when I was little. It's a song my people used to sing to sailors a long time ago. Way before you two were even born.”

“Even before our grandparents were born?” Lottie giggled.

Harry chuckled and nodded. “Even before their grandparents. Back when pirates ruled the seas.” His smile suddenly fell as he thought of his father and he was silent for a few moments before clearing his throat and looking at the two siblings who were blinking slowly. “You two should go home,” he said, nodding towards the hill. “It's getting dark out and your grandparents will be out calling for you soon.”

They groaned in unison, not wanting to leave yet, but they listened to him anyway. “Wait, will we see you tomorrow?” Lottie asked.

Harry shrugged and started to back out further into the water. “If you're lucky,” he winked before disappearing completely.

“Did we--did--just?” Lottie asked, unable to get a coherent sentence out.

“Y-yea Lottie...I think so…”

“Oh my God, oh my God. Oh. My.  _ GOD _ ! Louis! We just--we--we met a mermaid!”

“Mer _ man _ ,” Louis corrected similar to the way Harry had before. “He was right, you know. It is getting kind of dark. We’ll talk about this later.”

xxx

“What do mermaids eat?” Louis asked the next day as he sat on the sand, far enough for the water to wash over his legs completely. Harry relaxed on his back and splashed his tail against the water, making Louis giggle and shield his face when he was splashed.

Harry smiled fondly at him, growing to find the boy endearing. “We mostly eat shellfish,” he answered. “Y’know, crabs, lobsters, oysters. What do humans eat?”

Louis scrunched his nose and continued to pile wet sand into a hill, the tide washing some of it away. “Shellfish? That sounds nasty. Humans eat stuff like hamburgers and crisps and cookies. Stuff that’s really fattening and greasy.”

Harry copied the look he received earlier. “That sounds nasty.” Louis rolled his eyes.

“Shut up. And anyway, isn’t that cannibalism sort of? Because technically, you’re both sea creatures, and you’re eating one of your own? I would have guessed you were vegetarians.”

“And eat what?” Harry snorted. “Seaweed and kelp? We do have a sense of taste, you know. Can’t go through life eating flavorless wet herbs,” Harry said scoffing, as if offended.

“Well Sorry! Not all that familiar with the lives of you merpeople.”

Harry paused on the shell crown he’d started making and looked up at the boy with a fond gaze. “I quite like you, Louis Tomlinson. I guess we have more things in common than I thought,” he said, resting his arms on the small rock in front of him. “Only thing is that you’ve got legs and I’ve got a tail.”

“I quite like you as well, Harry Styles. Even if you’re part fish,” Louis smiled.

As the months passed by, Harry and Louis grew closer to each other, becoming best friends and closer than the merman was with Lottie, and before the siblings knew it, summer was over and their parents were pulling into the driveway. They didn’t get to say goodbye; the merman wasn’t on the beach the morning they left.

Soon, school started for the two and around Halloween, they received the news that their grandparents had passed away. Louis was devastated, he loved his grandparents, of course, but he was more sad about the fact of not seeing Harry ever again.

Years later, at the ripe age of 22, Louis graduated from Uni and bought his grandparents’ house. It had been an ambition of his ever since secondary school, and once he was in Uni, he started studying marine biology and dedicated his life to the study of mermaids. People on campus dubbed him a nutter, but they didn’t know what he did, did they? When they were younger, he and Lottie tried to explain to their parents about who and what Harry was, but Jay and Mark dismissed it as overactive imaginations and “Gram feeding them too much sweets.”

Lottie began to forget about their friend over time, leaving Louis the only one to still believe. It was like  _ Polar Express _ , Louis thought as he drove through the small port town of Lowestoft, looking in the rearview mirror to make sure the moving truck Niall was driving was still behind him. Whenever Louis would try to tell Lottie what happened when they were kids, she would always blow him off, saying that they were kids and let their imagination run wild, but she knew deep down that some of it had to be true and that her mind couldn’t make up all of that.

“It’s smaller than what I remember it being,” Louis commented as he stepped out of the car, lifting a hand over his eyes to block out the glare of the sun. It was evident that no one had been taking care of the house; the weeds were overgrown and the paint was chipping, but he could fix all that himself.

As he and Niall packed the boxes from the truck and car to the house, a sense of familiarity washed over him and he suddenly wanted to walk down to the beach. Louis left Niall to finish unloading and he walked the dirt path down to the hidden cove that was his favorite place as a child. He looked out at the ocean once he was on the beach and he felt like he was twelve again, breathing in the salty air and looking up as the seagulls flew overhead. He felt silly at what he did next.

“Harry?” he called out tentatively, not expecting a response. All he was greeted with were the sound of the waves and the birds. He sighed and waited a while, deciding to take his shoes off and sit in the sand. Niall came looking for him an hour later as the sun was setting and his stomach growled, telling it was time for dinner.

When he was settling into bed that night, he could have sworn he heard singing coming from the beach.

_ Ah well, it’s probably nothing. _

_ xxx _

“Harry!” Liam called, scowling at his friend. “What are you doing out here?”

“It’s so  _ boring _ , Liam. Gemma’s the Queen now, and no one bothers to amuse me anymore,” Harry complained, dipping his tail into the water. Liam sighed.

“It’s been seven years and you still can’t manage to follow the rules? Alright mate, don’t be surprised when someone finds you and takes you into captivity,” and with that, Liam was gone, disappearing with a small splash.

Harry pouted. Not that he was surprised. Liam eventually grew tired of chasing after Harry and trying to reason with him, so he just gave up altogether. “Rude…” he muttered to himself, turning back to face the shore.

Ten years since he’d last seen any human life on that beach. Ten years since he’d seen Louis, and Lottie. He knew that it was impossible to keep in touch with them once they’d left, but he didn’t think they’d stop visiting all together. He hadn’t had any contact with anyone that didn’t live in the sea, and he was getting lonely. Gemma always had her “Queen business” and his mother was always at her side, guiding her through everything.

He sighed and gave one more glance at the shore before diving off of his little perch and into the water.

xxx

Niall had left after breakfast the next morning, his flight to Ireland leaving that evening. Louis felt like he’d been unpacking for hours now, only half of the boxes empty. The living room was finished; a sofa was sat in the middle of the room and a small coffee table was in front of it. The fireplace was still intact, and he filled the mantle with pictures from home. Off to the side, there was a two-door cabinet that held DVDs and VHS tapes, a 36in. flat screen TV sat on top of it. The house still reminded him of when his grandparents lived there, but he decided that it needed a little modern touch to it. The walls were already white and the floors were dark hardwood, so he put down a light blue rug across a small expanse of the living room, the sofa, coffee table, and chairs sitting comfortable on top of it.

He had learned a thing or two about interior design while growing up, looking through the home improvement magazines he’d find on the hallway table underneath the mail and watching  _ Room to Improve _ on the telly when his mum and dad were at work. Besides Lottie, Louis had another younger sister named Felicite, but she was too young to remember anything about their grandparents and often went with their parents on their vacations during the summer, not trusting any nannies in the area. Four years after Fizzy was born, came the twins, Phoebe and Daisy.

Louis suspected that growing up in a household full of women had some affect on him, but he was glad for it, because when his mum and dad--step-dad, he should say-- divorced, Louis took up the role as man of the house, but also as a second caregiver for when his mother was busy at work. That meant cleaning scraped knees and cuts, mending torn clothes by hand. But then Jay found Dan, and now they were on their honeymoon with the two newest additions of the family: Ernest and Doris. Niall once joked that they looked like infant versions of Macklemore.

Deciding to take a break, Louis dug out the beach chair and carried it down to the beach, setting it in the sand and burying the legs so it wouldn’t topple over. As he stood up straight and placed his hands on his hips, he heard a familiar voice from behind him.

“Well isn’t this a lovely surprise?”

Louis jumped at the noise. That voice...it was familiar...no. It couldn’t be--”Harry?” Louis questioned skeptically, turning around. It was, in fact, Harry, albeit he was taller, his voice was  _ much _ deeper, and his hair...curly?

“The one and only. Lovely to remake your acquaintance,” Harry greeted, a mischievous glint to his eye.

“Nice to see your sarcasm hasn’t toned down either,” Louis pointed out dryly.

“Well, I did learn from the best.” Cheeky. “Even though it’s been a few years, you left a lasting impression. Almost got smacked a few times because of you.”

“Well, dear Harold, I’m terribly sorry ‘bout that. Can’t help it if I make myself known.”

“You’d think after nine--for the last time, ‘M called  _ Harry _ ,” Harry chastised, pouting. Louis grinned. it was good to know that he could still get under the boy-- _ man now _ ’s, skin.

“ I think I'll call you whatever you want,” Louis said, walking into knee deep water and sitting down, not caring that his pants were soaked. “ _ Harold.” _

Harry groaned and flopped his tail against the water childishly. “You're horrible,” he pouted. “I'm a prince, I could have you beheaded.”

“ Ah, but you won't,” Louis stated with a teasing smirk. They were quite after that, the only sounds being the ocean and the birds. Harry was older now, not in looks (for some odd reason that Louis was scared to ask about) but you could see it in his eyes. They were more mischievous and playful than they were all those years ago.

Harry's eyes trailed over Louis' face and took in his features. He had a bit of stubble covering his face, but it suited him, he thought, and his hair was longer, fanning out at the nape of his neck. He was tanner, too, and Harry kind of wanted to leave marks all over him, which was weird considering they hadn't seen each other in years. His eyes were more blue and crinkled at the corners when he smiled too big. “How old are you now, Lou?” he asked.

Louis was started by the question, breaking out of his little daze. “Twenty-two,” he answered, which Harry nodded to.

“ How's Lottie?”

The blue-eyed boy bit his lip at that. “She doesn't really remember you? Like, we told mum about you the second she picked us up, but she told us to stop making up silly stories. Lott's started to believe her and now she thinks I'm crazy.” He smiled a bit and looked at the merman from under his fringe. “I went to Uni to study marine biology because of you. Now I've got my PhD and decided to move here to where I'd be close to the ocean. M'a proper doctor now.”

As Louis spoke, Harry watched in awe, understanding half of what he was saying. “Why didn't you come back?” he blurted.

**Author's Note:**

> if you enjoy my writing, click [here](https://ko-fi.com/axhiiles)


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